Neurodegenerative diseases include amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease), motor neuron disease, dementia, Parkinson's disease, cerebellar atrophy, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, and Huntington's disease, and are characterized by neurodegenerative changes in specific areas.
The causes of neurodegenerative disease are still unclear, and it has been reported that the incidence of neurodegenerative diseases increases with age.
Patients with neurodegenerative diseases experience symptoms such as akinesia, sensory disturbance, muscle rigidity, atrophy and convulsions, which make their daily life very difficult and may significantly reduce the quality of life of the patients and their family members. Accordingly, studies have been continuously conducted on therapies against neurodegenerative diseases.
Conventional agents for treating neurodegenerative diseases include Riluzole, Yoo's Neurosolution and the like, and technologies that are being studied at present include bone marrow-derived adult stem cells and the like.
Riluzole is an agent that treats neurodegenerative diseases by inhibiting excessive release of glutamic acid, but causes side effects such as decreased liver function, dizziness, diarrhea, abdominal pain, vomiting, and loss of appetite. Due to such side effects, Riluzole has disadvantages in that the administration thereof is stopped in about 14% of the patients and in that Riluzole is not suitable for long-term administration. In addition, it has been reported that Riluzole is not effective against neurodegenerative diseases.
Yoo's Neurosolution is a therapeutic agent containing the bile acid ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), which delivers pure UDCA to brain tissue without modifying its molecular structure, to inhibit brain cell death that causes motor neuron disease, thereby preventing the progression of muscular dystrophy and alleviating symptoms.
However, Yoo's Neurosolution was reported to cause side effects such as vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, dizziness, headache, difficulty in breathing, and nausea, and is therefore also problematic in terms of its effects against neurodegenerative diseases.
Bone marrow-derived adult stem cells are still in clinical trial phases, and are expected to be commercialized after many years of studies.
Therefore, the present applicant seeks to provide a natural material-derived composition which causes no side effects, is not cytotoxic, is suitable for long-term administration, and is highly effective in preventing, alleviating or treating neurodegenerative diseases, thereby completing the present invention.
Natural materials that are used in the present invention include Curcumae longae rhizome, Gastrodiae rhizoma, Polygalae radix, Salviae radix, Chaenomeles fructus, Paeoniae radix, Glycyrrhizae radix, Atractylodis rhizoma, and Pulvis aconiti tuberis purificatum.
Hereinafter, these materials will be described in brief.
Curcumae longae rhizoma is the rhizome of Curcuma longa belonging to the family Zingiberaceae.
Curcumae longae rhizoma contains curcumin, turmerone, arturmerone and the like, and is effective against menstrual irregularity, postpartum abdominal pain, vomiting, piles, hemoptysis, and the like. In addition, it has a blood pressure lowering effect, an antibacterial effect, and the effect of removing extravasated blood.
Gastrodiae rhizoma is the rhizome of Gastrodia elata belonging to the family Orchidaceae.
Gastrodiae rhizoma contains gastrodin, gastrodioside, vanillyl alcohol and the like, and is effective against vomiting, arthralgia and myalgia. In addition, it has a pain-relieving effect, a blood circulation promoting effect, an anti-epileptic effect, etc.
Polygalae radix is the root of Polygala tenuifolia belonging to the family Polygalaceae.
Polygalae radix contains tenuifoliside, onjisaponins A to G, tenuidine, polygalitol and the like, and has expectorant, hypnotic, anti-epileptic, hemolytic, blood pressure-lowering, anticancer, and uterus-stimulating activities.
Salviae radix is the root of Salvia miltiorrhiza belonging to the family Lamiaceae.
Salviae radix contains tanshinones I and II, dihydrotanshinone, cryptotanshinone, methyl tanshinone, methylene, tanshiquinone, and β-sitosterol, and is effective against cardiovascular diseases, hepatitis, diseases, diabetes, and chronic renal disease.
Chaenomeles fructus is the fruit of Chaenomeles sinensis belonging to the family Rosaceae.
Chaenomeles fructus contains liriodendrin, saponin, malic acid, tartaric acid, citric acid, vitamin C, flavonoids, and tannins, and is effective against diarrhea, dysentery, abdominal pain, vomiting, arthritis, sprain, atopic dermatitis, and the like. In addition, it has an appetite improving effect, a nutritional tonic effect, and the like.
Paeoniae radix is the root of Paeonia japonica belonging to the family Ranunculaceae.
Paeoniae radix contains flavonoids, alkaloids, asparagine, methyl salicylate, sterols, tannins, alcohols, etc., and is effective against polyarthritis, hypertension, encephalitis, leukemia, achylia gastric, gout, rheumatism, and the like, and has sedative, pain-relieving, antispasmodic, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, hemolytic, antiulcer, blood pressure lowering, and coronary vasodilating effects.
Glycyrrhizae radix is the root of Glycyrrhiza uralensis belonging to the family Fabaceae.
Glycyrrhizae radix contains saponin, glycyrrhizin, flavonoids, colloids and the like, and is effective against sore finger, eczema, food poisoning, neurasthenia, heart disease, duodenal ulcer, stomach cramps, gastric ulcer, gastralgia, throat pain, and the like, and has anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, poison counteracting, antitussive, pain relieving, anti-epileptic, anti-tumor, bodyweight increasing, muscular strength enhancing, blood pressure elevating, hemolytic, antibacterial, and antipyretic effects.
Atractylodis rhizoma is the root of Atractylodes ovate belonging to the family Asteraceae.
Atractylodis rhizome contains beta-eudesmol, atractylone, vitamin A and the like, and is effective against diabetes, pulmonary tuberculosis, rheumatism, gout, arthralgia, myalgia, vomiting and the like. In addition, it has vasodilator, tonic, antibacterial, blood glucose lowering, and anticancer effects.
Aconiti lateralis preparata radix is the root of Aconitum carmichaeli belonging to the family Ranunculaceae.
Aconiti lateralis preparata radix contains hypaconitine, aconitine, mesaconitine and the like, and is effective against chronic dyspepsia, diarrhea, dehydration & electrolyte imbalance, etc. In addition, it has stimulant and heat function enhancing effects.
In prior art documents related to the present invention, Korean Patent Application Publication No. 10-2006-0023885 discloses a composition for treating dementia, which contains, as a main component, Atractylodis rhizoma, Polygalae radix and other kinds of plants, and as a minor component, Paeoniae rubra and other kinds of plants. Korean Patent No. 10-0564904 discloses a composition for treating dementia, which contains, as active ingredients, Glycyrrhizae radix, Atractylodis rhizoma, Paeoniae radix, and other kinds of plants.
In addition, Korean Patent Application Publication No. 10-2004-0023196 discloses a composition containing, as active ingredients, extracts of Paeoniae radix and Glycyrrhizae radix.
The prior art documents as described above relate to compositions either containing Atractylodis rhizome and Polygalae radix or Paeoniae radix and Glycyrrhizae radix, among Curcumae longae rhizome, Gastrodiae rhizoma, Polygalae radix, Salviae radix, Chaenomeles fructus, Paeoniae radix, Glycyrrhizae radix, Atractylodis rhizoma, and Pulvis aconiti tuberis purificatum, which are used in the present invention. However, these prior art documents do not suggest the efficacy of a composition containing Atractylodis rhizome, Polygalae radix, Paeoniae radix and Glycyrrhizae radix together with Curcumae longae rhizoma, Salviae radix, Chaenomeles fructus and Pulvis aconiti tuberis purificatum.